Who needs a boat trailer!

[Ed L.]

We have a trip lined up for Colorado next month and my wife or I are t really comfortable in the canoe anymore. I remember seeing a boat loader for a pickup when I was at a boat show with my dad as a kid. Started doing some research and located one for sale in Wisconsin. Road trip! Well, the guy hooked it up to power and nothing. Of course I was told it worked fine. Then the guy says, I have another controller and motor for it. I'm about to head home thinking 3 1/2 hours there and now 3 1/2 hours home. I tell the guy, guess I'm not interested. He says I'll tell you what, my wife really wants it gone. He has $250 in the motor and controller. He puts a battery on the motor terminals and it works. I told him if he'll take $250 I'll take it off his hands. I decided I didn't like his wiring job as he plugged it into the 7 pin trailer plug on his pickup so I rewired it so I can plug into a 12v receptacle in my truck or with an adapter to a battery. Low and behold it works! He originally want $1200 for the loader. They are currently going for $3500 new. I'm a happy camper!

 

[J. Overland]

Wow, that's a great score!

 

[Steven Alexander]

Sweet rig. Hows it work?

 

[Brad F]

Fond memories .. Back in the 70's the Eide boat loader was the new thing. My Dad built a copy for both our PU canopy's. Eide had both hand crank and motorized. Ours loaded hand loaded our 12' and 14' aluminum car toppers easily on the canopy's. Very handy device.

 

[Ed L.]

Sweet rig. Hows it work?

This one works great for my 12' Grumman. 12v forward/reversing motor with push button control.

 

[Ed L.]

Fond memories .. Back in the 70's the Eide boat loader was the new thing. My Dad built a copy for both our PU canopy's. Eide had both hand crank and motorized. Ours loaded hand loaded our 12' and 14' aluminum car toppers easily on the canopy's. Very handy device.

Yep, that's is what mine is. This one must be pretty old as it's a steel tube frame rather than aluminum extrusion as seen in the newer ones. I've wondered about a hand crank option if the motor failed. The rear roller is long enough to have a crank of some sort. How did your dad rig for a hand crank Brad? I've thought about boat winch style so that it would have a ratchet mechanism.

 

[Brad F]

It's actually out back on the canopy. He used bicycle sprockets for the chain drive gears. The handle was a simple crank that slipped over the end of the shaft and had a slot in the crank that then slipped over a key in the drive shaft. There was a flip up dog onto the top sprocket ? that was used so you could ratchet the boat up and on. Only worked on the loading. Going down you were on your own and if you lost the crank it came down rather quickly. Don't ask how I know. ;-).

It was a two step process going both ways. An actual ratchet tool and socket on the top roller over a nut welded/fastened? To the roller moved the boat forward and/or backward to the balance point. Then the crank raised or lowered the boat. Some hand/arm work was involved. It's been 45+ years since I was using it.

I'll go out in the morning early when it's cool (to beat the paper wasps that live there) to see if I can get any pics that show the assembly. The canopy sets in tall grass on the ground with lots of used pipe and posts on the loader as I use it for a junk storage. I know I don't have any video of it in use...my goodness that was a long time ago. Might be able to find a picture of it with a boat on it ..maybe

Eide motorized could be used with a handle also I believe. Maybe you can get info off the web or from them (are they still in business) so you have the manual option?

 

[Ed L.]

It's actually out back on the canopy. He used bicycle sprockets for the chain drive gears. The handle was a simple crank that slipped over the end of the shaft and had a slot in the crank that then slipped over a key in the drive shaft. There was a flip up dog onto the top sprocket ? that was used so you could ratchet the boat up and on. Only worked on the loading. Going down you were on your own and if you lost the crank it came down rather quickly. Don't ask how I know. ;-).

It was a two step process going both ways. An actual ratchet tool and socket on the top roller over a nut welded/fastened? To the roller moved the boat forward and/or backward to the balance point. Then the crank raised or lowered the boat. Some hand/arm work was involved. It's been 45+ years since I was using it.

I'll go out in the morning early when it's cool (to beat the paper wasps that live there) to see if I can get any pics that show the assembly. The canopy sets in tall grass on the ground with lots of used pipe and posts on the loader as I use it for a junk storage. I know I don't have any video of it in use...my goodness that was a long time ago. Might be able to find a picture of it with a boat on it ..maybe

Eide motorized could be used with a handle also I believe. Maybe you can get info off the web or from them (are they still in business) so you have the manual option?

No manual option. Mine is strictly motorized. I do had all the manuals and paperwork. I'll take a look and see if there's anything on the manual option. Yes. They are still in business and it doesn't seem anything has changed as far as controller or motor assembly. It will be interesting to see what you guys came up with.

 

[Brad F]

Sorry to disappoint but checking today I find that canopy and loader assembly is just to buried and up against the neighbors fence to be able to take a photo.

My father was the builder as I was just a young guy that loved to fish....which he taught me. His ingenuity, skills building with multiple materials as well as mechanical abilities always amazed me for a self taught man of limited formal education.

We used the loaders for years. Again they were not as slick loading the boat as the Eide but sure got the job done.

 

[Ed L.]

Sorry to disappoint but checking today I find that canopy and loader assembly is just to buried and up against the neighbors fence to be able to take a photo.

My father was the builder as I was just a young guy that loved to fish....which he taught me. His ingenuity, skills building with multiple materials as well as mechanical abilities always amazed me for a self taught man of limited formal education.

We used the loaders for years. Again they were not as slick loading the boat as the Eide but sure got the job done.

NP Brad. Thanks for looking. After spending half the day looking for my fuse box that controls the 12v accessories receptacles, I found a blown fuse. The original motor has an internal short so I'm hoping that's what blew the fuse.